Is a 1996 car vintage? To some cops it is

Check this one out: In some cop circles, a 1996 Crown Victoria is considered vintage.

Former P-I colleague Hector Castro sent this link to a story from The Vidette newspaper in Grays Harbor County. The story is about the Montesano Police Chief Ray Sowers, whose squad car was considered a joke among area law enforcement.

Earlier this month, he was pulled over by a State Patrol trooper who thought he was imitating an officer.

“I had to show him my badge,” Sowers said told The Vidette.

The newspaper reports the Montesano City Council voted 4-2 to purchase a used 2003 Chevy Tahoe for $8,500 to replace Sowers’ 1996 Ford Crown Victoria.

It’s doubtful the chief got much for his trade-in. The estimated trade value of a 1996 Crown Victoria is $1,556, according to IntelliChoice.